The trip

In the first week of September 2011, I joined my friend Sergei's trip to Ukraine to pick up his children, one of his usual trips at the end of summers. Yet for me, that was one week of excitement and unprecedented experiences, in getting to learn a nation, a history, a culture, a country, a people, and much more. And I am so very thankful that this was made happen to me. First and foremost, my friend Sergei, who exuberantly encouraged me, planned most of everything, even went to the consulate of Ukraine with me for visa, accompanied me, guided my tour, introduced everything from history to culture to food, to so many of his unbelievable friends. I stayed at Sergei's flat, which is occupied by his sister in law, Tanya. And my week long stay forced her out to borrow place from her friends. Yet she has been such a wonderful hostess, provided so much, even most remotely. Sergei's wonderful friends, Boris, Lena, Lesch (Alexey),Henrich (another Alexey), Andrey, Julia, 2 Tanyas, Sveta, Gulia, his wife Olga, Ksue (phonically, I am sure I am not spelling right), have made this trip impossibly enjoyable and no other way could I have possibly learned so much of the true and friendly Ukrainians. And of course I am thankful to my wife who also morally supported my trip, and was so happy to see me so excited about the trip.